Grapes

• Grapes consist of about 80 percent water, which makes them a good low calorie snack or dessert.

• It takes about half a kilogram of grapes to produce one bottle of wine.

• The skins of red grapes contain resveratrol, an antioxidant that has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, life-extending, performance-enhancing and neuroprotective properties.

• Red grape juice has the same benefits for the heart and digestion as wine does.

• Grapes are toxic to dogs and can cause renal failure.

• Vitis vinifera, the variety of grapes from which most other varieties originate, was first cultivated as early as 6 000 BC in the region between the Black and Caspian Seas.

USING GRAPES IN THE KITCHEN

 CHOOSE grapes that are plump and free of wrinkles. They should be intact, not leaking juice, and firmly attached to a healthy looking stem. For the most antioxidants, choose fully ripened grapes.

STORE grapes loosely wrapped in paper towel and inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator – they tend to ferment and spoil at room temperature.

PREPARE grapes by washing them under cold running water and draining in a colander.

If you are not going to use the whole bunch, cut small clusters from the stem using a pair of scissors instead of removing individual grapes. This will keep the remaining grapes fresh by preventing the stem from drying out.